The Blonde Salad's Chiara Says Blogging Is Something She "Used to Do"

Chiara Ferragni graces the Winter 16 cover of Canada’s Fashion magazine, and the style star does not mince words in the accompanying interview. After launching her blog, The Blonde Salad, in 2009, the Italian fashion star grew to be arguably the most famous and successful of them all—so much so that Harvard has done a case study of her brand, which, according to Fashion, is estimated to rake in $8 million this year alone.

But, as the article points out, these facts alone won’t ward off critics who refuse to accept onetime bloggers as legitimate businessmen and -women. “It’s bizarre to say all bloggers are sellouts,” Ferragni tells the mag. “That kind of thinking is outdated. People who are serious about this business do so much more—they have companies and brands. When someone calls me a blogger, I think, ‘That’s one of the things I used to do.’ I’m a creative director for my shoe brand; I’m the editor in chief of The Blonde Salad, which is a website and not just a blog anymore.” She makes a very valid point—why can’t those who launch their careers in the blogosphere be granted other titles as they grow?

And, as she further explains, it’s not entirely fair to group all bloggers together: “If you partner with brands or products you actually like and use, then it’s honest work. If someone were to give me money to wear a bag I didn’t like, I wouldn’t be doing it. I would lose my credibility right away.” Touché, Chiara, touché.